Don’t underestimate the power of your staff – ask them to get involved and see your results soar.

Managing social media is time consuming when you do it right. Many businesses spend loads of time and money creating posts that end up with little or no traction. As a result, we’ve started to take a closer look at Facebook and Instagram algorithms that impact the success of using social.

There’s a saying we like that goes like this: “Trying to grow your business without advertising, is like winking at a girl in the dark.” And, with so many small businesses relying on social media as a core strategy, in order for it to work — it has to get seen. In order for it to get seen, people have to like it, respond to it and share it. You probably already knew that. But you might be wondering how you can make it happen. Turn your employees into your Brand Ambassadors. “Social media employee advocacy is a real thing.” What is it, exactly? It’s when marketers (and businesses) rely on their own employees to share a company’s posts on their own personal pages, also known as brand advocacy.

Your employees are your greatest asset, right? You’ve hired the best and the brightest and put them to work to make your business soar, so don’t underestimate what they can do for your business on social media!

Believe it or not, word-of-mouth is still one of the most effective marketing strategies. What’s changed is how we receive word-of-mouth communication. Today’s digital landscape means that word-of-mouth comes by way of Facebook recommendations, Instagram followers and post sharing and online reviews.

I’m not suggesting that you force post sharing or that you ‘make’ your employees spend lots of extra time on social. What I am saying is that if you create an environment where social media sharing is encouraged and supported, your team’s advocacy can have a positive effect on your social media influence and results.

The best way to make this happen in your organization is to lead by example….and to provide some support. Some employees may need some direction about what to say and what not to say, some may want a list of applicable hashtags. Provide them with the tools they need to be comfortable and successful. A little bit of training and support will increase their wiliness to participate.

The ultimate goal of your social media marketing efforts is to elevate your Brand and let people know who you are, and what you stand for — getting your employees involved just makes sense!